Human Resources

Role of Human Resources in the Workplace

Human resources are the people who work in an organization. It is also the name of the department that exists to serve the needs of those people.

William R. Tracey, in The Human Resources Glossary, defines human resources as, "The people that staff and operate an organization… as contrasted with the financial and material resources of an organization."

Human resources are the people who work for an organization in jobs that produce the products or services of the business or organization.

In the past, these people, also known as employees, staff members, coworkers, colleagues, team members, or workers in organizations and workplaces, were called personnel. In some organizations, they are still called personnel, manpower, operators, or workmen -- names that are generally no longer used in more evolved and modern workplaces.

Human resources evolved from these older terms as the functions of the field moved beyond paying employees and managing employee benefits. The evolution of the HR function gave credence to the fact that people are an organization's most important resources.

Evolution of the Term "Human Resources"

Human resources, as a name for employees, was first used in a book published in 1893 according to Wikipedia and was regularly used in the early 1900's.

The modern use of the term, human resources, dates from the 1960's. Now, most organizations call employees and the department or office designated to assist the organization and its people, Human Resources.

Over the years, calling employees "human resources" has been the subject of much debate.

People who do not like the term applied to people believe that identifying people as an asset or resource of an organization -- in the same terminology you'd use to refer to land, building materials, or machines -- is improper, and can lead to poor treatment of employees.

Efforts are underway to modernize the term, human resources. Increasingly, you hear employees referred to as team members, associates, members of the organization, knowledge workers, or talent. The new names imply that all of the employees in the company are essentially peers, and that they're all equally valued as people.

This is reflected in statements like, "As employees, no matter your job title or rank, we are all equal as team members.

We just have different jobs."

The Second Meaning for Human Resources

In a second meaning, human resources is also the name of the department or functional area from which the HR employees provide HR services to the rest of the organization.

Foremost in accomplishing these goals with employees are your managers or front line supervisors to whom the employees report. They are the people who interact with employees every day to ensure that you have a motivated, contributing workforce. The HR office supports their front-line efforts.

HR provides the framework, processes, programs, procedures, training, and the information they need to succeed.

The Changing Role of the HR Team

Over time, this has changed and enhanced the role of your HR team. Dr. Dave Ulrich of the University of Michigan identified three significant roles for the HR team: strategic partner, employee advocate, and change champion. He believes that everything HR does must add value to the business.

The next phase for HR “which is emerging, is using HR practices to respond to and create value based on external business conditions." Says Ulrich, “This direction needs to be connected to the business, both the business context which shapes decision making and specific stakeholders around whom business strategies are created.”

It’s time for transformation and asking tough questions about past practices that have outlived their ability to contribute. Annual performance appraisals, outdated hiring practices that include discrimination, a command and control management style, and disempowering micromanagement are examples.

The Changing Names of the Human Resources Function

In keeping with the new roles of the HR professional, organizations are rethinking what they want to call the office that deals with the organization’s human resources. They seek names that will more effectively present the office’s primary role and meet the expectations of the employees for what they need from their HR team.

'Office of People' is cropping up as a term to describe the HR office. So are People Operations, Office of Talent, Talent Management, Employee Success, People Resource Center, Department of People and Culture, Support Services, People and Development, Employee and Management Solution Center, Partner (Human) Resources, and People Management.

And, of course, changing the name of the HR service organization results in changes to HR job titles. VP of People and Culture, Chief People Person, Employee Happiness Cultivator, People Operations Manager, VP of People, Chief Happiness Officer, Director of Employee Engagement, Chief People Officer, and Chief of Culture are a few that have cropped up in recent years.

What you call employees and the office that exists to serve them and the organization matters when you consider the message that you want to send to people—but it’s not the critical factor. What matters in organizations are issues such as how:

They will also advise you about how to best plan and pursue a career in the HR field. They offer advice about necessary education, the skills HR leaders must bring to the table, and how to find a job in HR. They cover the responsibilities in HR as a career choice and even let you know when you might want to leave the field and transition to another.

Human Resources Management Careers

Since so much about HR involves managing people and resources, fundamental management skills are critical players in the HR role. And not just for HR staff, the managers who do the day-to-day managing of the people in your organization need all of the development help they can get.

Managers set the tone and pace for your organization. Why not empower them to create a motivational, engaging, productive, continuously improving work environment in which people will thrive. Use these resources to find out how.

Recruiting, Hiring and Termination Best Practices

Starting with the checklist for hiring employees, you’ll find everything you need to most productively source, interview, select, and hire employees. Use these recruiting and staffing resources to develop a high performance, superior workforce that is dedicated to making your organization successful.

Develop Your Employee Management Skills

Does your role require that you manage and lead employees? If so, you’ll find everything you need to successfully lead a group of people in these resources. Want to know more about employee motivation, engagement, and recognition, you’ll get the best of new thinking about managing a team.

Employee Motivation and Recognition Practices

Motivating and engaging employees is the most significant factor in a manager’s job. Human resources’ support of their managers’ ability to effectively interact with employees is critical when you consider what organizations need from human resources.

Employee Wellness and Work-Life Balance

Employees, and especially your millennial employees and the upcoming Gen Z, your newest and youngest employees are dedicated to work-life balance. In fact, for many, work is something you do all week to make money to spend on fun weekends.

Knowing the stages a team experiences as it develops will help you manage employees in a way that increases their productivity and powerful workplace relationships. Find also world class, field tested icebreakers and team building activities to use in your meetings and training classes.

As an employee, you'll want to know what laws affect how your employer treats you. You can see what your rights and responsibilities are in the workplace.

Human Resources Employment Glossary

If your goal is to succeed at work, you need to know the words and terminology that are used in every workplace. Like all fields, human resources has acronyms and other terminology that those who are in the know—know. You can use these resources to stay up-to-date on HR and workplace terminology.